that those men who have some gifts and think they are rich in them having need of nothing when alas they are blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. make Calves of those gifts they have and by them tempt the people to Idolize them and their gifts yea and to contemn the Ministry and Ordinances of the Church crying up themselves as the instruments that brought men from Superstition into the glorious light of Truth and liberty of the Gospel Thus they thrust their sickle into anothers Harvest and reap where they sowed not Alas every man is not a lawfull Labourer in the Vineyard that breaks through the hedge and toyles therein without and against the leave of the lawful Master of the Vine-yard No man in the Church is to do any thing but he that is a Church-man upon penalty of presumption Good intents do not warrant bad actions nor do ready Wills alwayes argue just Calls The Priests onely were to touch the Ark What had Uzza the Levite to do with it 'T was enough for him to touch the barres of itâ—… though the Ark was agitated to and fro yet had he not warrant to take hold on it He should have minded the Ministration he was appointed to but his care out-runing his Call his life was taken away God struck him with death who first assaulted him by a bold presumption 'T is a wonder to me that any man should think his own Arrogancie warrant for his actions especially in matters of the highest and most important consequence whereas in secular and civil affairs not a mans own word but his Superiours authority and qualification enables him Who dares take upon him to raise Forces lay Taxes levy Contributions punish offenders or negotiate with Forraign States but those who are the designed Officers thereto and yet in the matters of God in the dispensation of his holy mysteries every man will be a Priest and a Prophet as if it were pardonable onely to be disorderly in Religion and as if God had connived at lawlesse Liberty where the danger of miscarrying is most fatal The Apostle speaking of the Priesthood saies No man taketh this honour upon him but he that is called of God as was Aaron asserting thereby that Aarons Priest-hood was not by his own assumption he was not a Priest because he would be so but he was so because God called him thereto and honoured him thereby yea our Lord Christs Priest-hood and the glory of it was from his Father who said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee which Priest-hood of Christ continuing in the Churches Succession by virtue of that of our Lord to his disciples As my Father hath sent me so send I you is also to exclude all men from Lawful officiating who are not Called thereto in a Church Order and by Church hands And if Uzziah a great King and a good man in the sight of God 2 Chron. 26. transgressed against God in taking the Office of the Priests on him Why shall we think they of a meaner degree may And therefore let not the people say of the Ministry of this once glorious Church which some men would rejoyce to see with Christ Jesus on the Crosse exposed to shame and torment as the Rebellious and Idolatrous Israelites did of Moses when he was in the Mount with God Exod. 32. 1. As for this man Moses we know not what is become of him crying out for gifted men as they call them in opposition to their learned Ministers as they did for their molten Calfe let them not venture Eternity upon the Prescripts of blind Guides who have no better warrant no other Credentials to entitle them to Church labour then their own impudence having a yearly and a monthly faith a faith of times not Gospel as Turtullian elegantly on such to trust is to build on stubble and straw and lean on Egyptian reeds which will falter and deceive us in our greatest need being like those Flores horae which I have seen very pleasant but dead and withdrawn in a trice for this to do were to provoke God to remove our true Teachers into corners and to make the word of Life a dead letter to us To make the Gospel hidden to us as to those that are lost For my part my repair shall be to God and his holy Ministers in all spiritual doubts and disconsolacies and from them I shall never be ashamed to receive correction and instruction I am of his mind who had rather be a Member of the Church then head of the heathen Empire I admire those Ages most which had greatest devotion to the Church and condemn that wherein the Clergy is decried I love to see Solomons throne guarded with learned worthies smile who will at the decay of Schools and scorn of Presbyters mine eye shall pity my tongue shall speak my pen shall write for them yea were I as happy as Solomon was for wealth I would make their tables be full and their cups to run over This were indeed to help the Lord against the mighty the mighty Goliahs of Rome who by this way of vilipendency hope to give our Clergies flesh to be food for the birds of the Air whose triumphs rife from the Churches viduation from her learnings contempt and prosternation Hence are thy Jubilies O Church once beloved but not now beloved hence your Ovations O children of the Papacy to see the Protestant Clergy miserable and poor and blind and naked to see them hopelesse to out live the wildernesse of hardship and probable to dye issuelesse if no after-springs should grow to disquiet you is much your interest This evil to deprecate and as far as in us lies to prevent were indeed to help the Lord against the mighty hoasts of Atheists which are come forth to revile the armies of the living God these no less mischievous then the former subject faith to reason and proclaim the Ministry and all Church administrations secular deceits and subtile frauds invented upon rules and designs of state policy What Calderinus said of the Masse that say they of Churches Sermons Sacraments Let us go to the common errors these dispute heaven hel Scripture conscience severity of life into meer nullities giving them no better footing then civil symbolizing with people amongst whom we live and with whom converse and making them obligatory and restrictive to us as we understand them or as others may to whom by contrary living we are to give no offence not allowing them that power and Energy which God hath imprinted on them and which are experienced to be in them by the attestation of the Saints Martyrs who have found these working on them to a grand provocation of holy caution and circumspection checking them when they were ready as it were to engage in actions displeasing to God and detractful from the honour of their holy profession It is a sad and inglorious note of ingratitude
An humble APOLOGIE FOR LEARNING AND LEARNED MEN. By Edward Waterhous Esq. He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly He that despiseth the gain of oppressions that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evill He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Isa. 33. ver 15 16. Quis unquam me adversus Ordinem illum vel coram audivit disputantem vel clam susurrantem Quem unquam de Ordine illo nisi cum gaudio vidi nisi cum honore suscepi nisi cum reverentia allocutus nisi cum humilitate adhortatus sum S. Bern. in Apol ad Willerum Abb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just. Mart. Resp. ad 22. â—… ad Orthodoxos London Printed by T. M. for 〈◊〉 G. Bedell and T. Collins at the middle Templeâ—… 〈◊〉 Fleet street 1653. The Authors Preface I Am not so fond as to think that I deserve better or my Reader will allow me more favour then usually men do to those whom the Presse makes publick and their censures unhappy nor can I distrust the blessing of God on my honest meaning but that he will encline some whose ingenuities correct their passions to excuse me in what I have done engage themselves to take Fire from my Spark and thence to kindle their nobler flames of Love to Zeal for Religion and Learning What other mens motives are to write I skill not mine I am sure is only to honour God serve the Church shew my self loyal to my conviction to testifie to the world that nothing in mine opinion is so great a security to the main-guard of Religion as well to provide for her out-ports lines of learning So long as these unblemish'd incitements command in chief I may with more courage confront the Censurer Erasmus lessons what wel becomes men to learn Civilitatis est quod scriptum est commodè interpretari but if they list rather to carp at what I have done then do what they are or at least think themselves better able to perform let St. Jerome reply on them for me Aut profer meliores epulas me convivâ utere aut qualicunque hâc coenulâ nostrâ contentus esto For truly I have so mean thoughts of my self that I cannot but wonder what should move me to write if love did not since in Tertullians words I propose not Ut tam instruam eruditos quam excitem paratos I know there is little congruity betwixt the Author and the Argument magna magnos decent and fit had it been for some of the first three to have encountred the bold defiancers of Arts and Artists but since they prefer that of the Historian Neutiquam placet quando nulla res cogit fortunae se committere before this so necessary and noble a Service I have adventured into the Ocean of view though in a storm accounting that of old Claudius to Appius true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resolving to defy my Censurer in S. Jeâ—…omes words Legunt qui volunt qui nolunt abjiciant eventilent apâ—…ces litteras calumnientur magis vestrâ charitate provocabor ad studium quam illorum detractione odio deterrebor And truly to my shame I publish it that at first I was somewhat unpleased with the Importunity of my thoughts this way conceiving it the Road to displeasure and a Voyage of Shipwrack but as with the Prophet of old so was it with me the Resolution to abstain from Good words was Pain and Grief to me for by the assistance that I had from God in its Composure I saw that somewhat in it might be useful had it the Cookery of a richer Wit and readier Pen. This is my comfort I am no Boutefeau I endeavour no quarrel with Antiquity Order Piety but rather resolve to take the reproach of them upon me Speciosum pro Justitia acceptum vulnus all that I prefer is That God may be honoured by those Gifts which he hath given to men and that the Foot may not say to the Head I have no need of thee nor piety be thought exclusive of Learning nor any Age happy without Learned Men For as he said Dissolutionem imperii doces si fructus quibus Respublica sustinetur diminuuntur There is no subject more seasonable none less turbulent then is this for it asserts whatever is a Foundation and it shatters what brings Foundations out of Order and therefore can be reproached by none but those who misuse Liberty and mistake Reason or whose Opinions like Bâ—… yes rise and sink with their parties to whom sober Truth is troublous and against which they cry as once the Divels did to Christ Art thou come to torment us before our time To this there is no other reply to be made then silence they do not veritatem quaerere sed gloriam triumphum for they are satisfied with nothing but with wandrings till they lose with Dinah their mental modesties and become Prostitutes to him who leads into evil and there leaves them to perish without mercy rescue them This let the world know in confutation of their mistakes those who are Godlily Learned are no such men as some represent them Nor do they so much covet to know as to live answerably and exemplarily S. Cyprian hath long ago vindicated them Nos qui Philosophi non verbis sed factis sumus nec vestitu sapientiam sed veritate preferimus qui virtutis magis conscientiam quà m jactantiam novimus qui non loquimur magna sed vivimus quasi servi cultores Dei patientiam quam Magisteriis coelestibus discimus obsequiis spiritualibus praebeamus I know he that intends by Apologie to do good by perswading men to be good must not hope to prevaile by falshood and fury Perfidi ruptores pacis ultioni gloriae sunt mactandi but by gentle and honest prudence so allay the wild fire of wit that it flame not too furiously but carry with its edge somewhat of a tender and velvet touch Therefore have I by the assistance of God so avoided all unnecessary tartnesses that those who quarrel with me must needs confesse themselves guilty of somewhat by me reproved and those who are sober not find themselves tempted to any contest beyond that how they shall be what they seem and grow better then they are If any thing written by me offend those that are godly and wise I shall take their reproofs as a precious balm and intreat them to consider that in many things we offend all and if it be my frailty to erre it becomes their piety to forgive Non cursum eundem tenere oportet sed portum and when they read me I would counsel them to remember what Saint Jerome sayes Scio aliter me habere Apostolos aliter
of heavenly things nor so much of the nature of inferiour things as are necessary to judgments nor is their Art demonstrable but they deal upon experience and Vaticinie and back their deceit with Oratorick and Poetick fables and proofs And without doubt could Astrologers foretell any thing certainly there would not have been such follies committed by them as to their dishonour hath been by the just hand of God Nor would that famous Paulus Florentinus have been in the dark who openly professed that he calculated his Nativity and could finde nothing of longaevity in it yet 't is known he lived till 85 years of age which was five yeers above wondrous old in Davids account The Fathers of the Church have been marvellously clamorous against them and their fascinations Tertullian is very sharp and notably perstringes the Simonian Hereticks and Marcionites who both used these Arts adding As for Astrologers they deserve not once to be named they think God not to be consulted with but that we are ordered by the immutable influences of the Stars And in his Book of Idolatry he is so zealous against them that he saith That after the Gospel was received we cannot finde either Sophisters or Caldeans or Inchanters or Conjecturers or Magicians but they were ever severely punished Origen is not behind others in giving them the lash of his pen and he smites once for all he calls Enchanters the Divels Seducings the Divels pastime the dregs of Idolatry the infatuation of souls the scandal of Orders adding that those who follow them are forsaken of God and the holy Angels possessed by the Divell who not onely infatuates them but hardeneth their hearts against the Truth and maks them reprobate to every good word and work Saint Augustine is very smart against them as instrumentall to beguile men of Truth and to betray them to all evils of Atheism Idolatry profanenesse and what not lib. 5. de Civit. Dei So Saint Cyril lib. 10. cont Iulianum Theod. quaest 15. on Genesis Esychius upon the 7. chapter of Leviticus and chap. 19. So Alchymus Olympiodore and Cassiodore as I finde them quoted Hist. Magd. Cent. 6. c. 6. with infinite others which to mention would be needlesse The ancient Councels not onely abroad but at home decree against this or any thing like it in any degree as heathenish So I finde in the Synod of Saint Patrick here about the yeer 456. art 14. A Christian which commits Murder or Adultery or after the manner of the Heathen goeth to a Witch for every such fault let him be enjoyned and accordingly undergo a whole years penance Yea the Law of our Land punisheth a Witch or any one who converseth with an evill spirit with death See Sir Ed. Cook 3. part Instit. p. 44 45. And some of the Learned say That as Augurie Aruspicine and all Sorceries so Astrologick predictions are made by familiarity of evill spirits and that no particular events can be foreknown by any but by that unlawfull compact And for this besides strong Reasons they produce the Authorities of ingenuous Masters in that skil as Gauricus who saith Fieri nequit ut qui tantum sciens est particulares rerum formas praenunciet soli autem Numine afflati praedicunt particularia And therefore though there be difference in the Manner and Kinds of Witchcraft Divination Southsaying Fortune-telling and Astrologie as to exact definition yet they all agree in the end which is by vain impious means to know the future events of Men and Things for which cause the Scripture ranks them together Dan 2. 2. Magicians Astrologers Sorcerers and Caldeans and Tully condemns them together as parts of one and the same pack whereby the Divell seduceth mans curiosity to dishonour God and his Truth by adhering to signes of future events good and evill which not warranted in the Word of God ought not to be rested on by Christians For as the School-men well say Omnes hujusmodi observationes superstitiosae sunt illiciâ—…ae videntur esse quaedam reliquiae Idololatriae See more of this in King Iames his Daemonologie cap. 3 4 5. c. and therefore 't was a good rule of Mariana while commending the study of Religion to a Prince he forbids resting on specious forms of mysterious superstition and on the Art of Divination if it be an Art and not rather a delusion of vain men as things which do misbecome the Majestie of a Governour and imbase the glory of Religion And therefore Cornelius Agrippa after he hath with great severity oppugned this Knowledg and asserted both Picus and Firmianus in their Arguments against it sayes Dignissima profectò Ars quam olim etiam Daemones profiterentur in fallaciam hominum in injuriam Divinitatis And as Religion is by these heathenish and indemonstrable Arts dishonoured so is the Civill Polity and Authority of the Magistrate hereby endammaged and imperill'd For such is the policy of Satan and the corruption of our nature that we give more heed usually to Doctrines of Divels then to the rules and dictates of true Religion And though the Scriptures be precise that obedience be given in all things according to the will of God to those that are placed over us or permitted by providence to have power amongst us and it rests a duty on us to give honour to whom honour and fear to whom fear is due yet how easily will those bonds be broken and that awe upon the conscience be discharged if mens recumbencies be on Prognosticators and their Charmes and mentitious Presages Many sad villanies may by the midwifry of this Impostor be perpetrated Which is confirmed by Tiberius of whom the Historian sayes That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Calculating the day and hour of their Nativities if he found in them any thing excellent or any good fortune or likelinesse to attaine the Empire he slew them Therefore Tacitus calls them Genus hominum Principibus infidum credentibus fallax à Civitate nostra semper prohibentur Which the wise Counsellor Agrippa forewarns Octavian hereof while he sayes Magicians are not to be endured for admit they speak some things true yet oftner do they by lying fool men into attempts dangerous and innovating I the rather enlarge on these hints because I see a notorious mischief coming in at this door the insolencies of the Astrologers and their Appendices being not onely great and bold like the sin of Sodom but also scandalous to Our Religion and much detractfull from the honour and successe of it For so bold are they grown that they court men from the Ordinances of Christ in the Church to their Dens of speculation and fascinating Vaults and with Simon Magus Acts 8. bewitch men with their sorceries perting themselves up and priding over the sacred Order of the Ministry under the disfavoured name of Presbytery as if
brevity of their Power in the Observations of wise men who conclude Imperia crudelia magis acerba quà m diuturna To all my friends I wish accumulation of good and that from the deserts of convincing by humanity rather then destroying by force I shall ever prefer Absolom's Courtship above Attila's power though both of them to their purposes were abominable And so doth that learned Pope Pius the Second An adversary saith he is more overcome with courtesie then fire and sword one injury ought not to make way for a second nor are evils to be multiplied where Charity is broken by the first offence the old leaven is first to be purged out then satisfaction given and last of all obligations of future amity to be studied Thus he I like not the temper of Caracalla who delighted more in Magicians and Juglers then worthy men for when he saw himself hated he told the Romans plainly that he had power to command his own security though not their love and therefore did he lesse value reproaches or fear danger by their disfavour My consent accompanies carriages like those of Iulius Caesar whose successes Fortune so served that he could no sooner wish then have not see before conquer his Foe crying out Teneo te Africa victoriarum omen non aliunde quà m à virtute petens yet was he more victorious by his clemency then Chivalry He he it is whom we read forgiving all his enemies who were in arms against him and honouring some of them with Government under him Next to him in this course of overcoming by kindnesse was Chrysanthius Governor of Lydia under Iulian who so moderately carried things that no man could justly complain that either his person or fortune was in danger further then in that misfortune which is common to worldly things Yea all Polititians have more considered the effects of perswasion then compulsion and demeaned themselves so that whoever had cause to complain learned men should not Let Domitian put Metius to death onely for having the world painted on his chamber walls and the Rhetorician for declaring against Tyrants yet will good and sober Governors rather carry themselves so wisely as not to deserve then so fiercely as to fear and frown on the reproofs of wise men They who read Orbasius Sardianus setler of Iulian in the Empire Marsilius Ficinus Oracle of the Medicean family and freind to him who layd the foundation of the Tuscan greatness Richlieu Omnipotent as it were of France and the augmentation of that Nations greatness by his counsel in his time He that considers Morton the diligent agent of H. 7. and what services be did to his Master will readily yeild that it is of great Concernment to nourish learned men and that Governours doe much regard their own stability and credit in preferring them If any say they have been enemies to reformation and so are hinderances rather then helpes I shall request them to veiw impartially and to examine proofs before they condemn And withall to consider that all Learned men are not of a mind nor is Learning the sole cause why men dissent but somtimes Conscience which indeed is informed therby as it is the improver of the souls reason and if conscience be so tender in ordinary men that when they can give no reason they vouch this plea and are gently dealt with all and pardoned their errors and for the future admonished Then why is not the same liberty allowed learned men as the excuse of their disagreement If the learned qua such have opposed any thing of God out of malicious wickedness then let them suffer as evil-doers but if they have but differed in matters disputable if they have done but what they conceived was their duty to doe they have not deserved reproach I am of Plynies mind Errare me sed cum illis sinant quorum non seria modo sed etiam lusus exprimere laudabile est I will declare my self to all the world for one who approve reformation in Religion and Learning as an Act of piety and universall good but truly O Powers there is much heed to be taken in a matter wherein miscarriage is so easy and fatall Cassidore sayes omnia deliberata sunt robusta and I have ever judged things done in haste fit to be repented of at leisure In the Counsell of Basil Consultation was had about reforming Religion and the Counsell concluded to begin with the Minorites one of the meanest Orders but the Emperour Sigismund cryed out Non à Minoritis sed à majoritis Take down those Top-sayles of defyance that are hoysted up against Principles of Art and sober Science polish off that rust and canker which Time and Impudence hath forced upon Religion and Art Imploy learned and unprejudic'd Men to prepare things for your deliberation and Authorization and then there is hope to come to Anchor and to make a successfull port the Haven of Truth and Honour Ignorant men though never so well affected never so consciencious are as improper discoverers of errours in Arts they skil not as blind men judge of Colours they never saw Plotinus tells us that as by the eye the beauty of any thing is perceived which is the cause why blind men cannot judge of beauty and not beauty so likewise the beauty and excellency of Arts and Sciences are truly known by those and those onely who understand them And Guevara sayes Ad agendum hortari illum qui quid sit agendum nesciat ludibrii suspicione non caret Ignorance as ill becomes a refiner of Art as want of Tools does an Artificer or of weapons a Souldier and Precipitancy is as great an opposite to well doing as consumptions are contrary to strength Peevish and partiall men will neither examine thorowly nor report faithfully what posture Arts are in what inconveniencies they have upon them and what remedies are rightly to be applyed they can readily carp and find faults to get and keep to themselves imployments and to be of note in the eyes of men but truely to deserve what they have is least part of their care To these that of the Emperour Frederick is very applicable when Gaspar Schlikius had before him sharply inveighed against Hypocrisie and Hypocrites O quoth the Emperor Thou must go beyond the Sauromatae and the frozen Seas if thou wilt outgo Hypocrites and when thou hast gone to the utmost period of this Globe thou wilt not misse an Hypocrite if thou thy self art there and art a man and not God for there is no man alive but hath some spice of hypocrisie and in some thing or other is not the same he seems to be To do then the work so as not to mar it and make the remedy worse then the disease is the mark to be aimed at and an endeavour well worthy all mens good speed in the name of the Lord. Onely I beseech you that